Since we were already driving through the area, we stopped briefly at the Basotho Cultural Village, a living museum nestled beneath the spectacular sandstone mountains of Golden Gate Highlands National Park in South Africa’s Free State province.
The village features an 18th-century-style Basotho settlement with traditional homesteads (🎟️100 ZAR), offering an insight into how Basotho architecture and daily life developed over the centuries. We saw traditional round, thatched huts known as rondavels, as well as examples of litema—intricate geometric mural designs traditionally painted on house walls.
When we arrived, guards welcomed us into the settlement by playing traditional musical instruments. We also had the opportunity to taste mqombothi, a traditional sorghum beer brewed locally in the village. It was a short but interesting introduction to Basotho culture and traditions.
